»Soil A Source of Healthy Life«
Soil is a valuable resource that directly or indirectly provides us with 98% of our food. Plants and animals rely on the nutrients and water in the soil to grow.
Therefore, the healthier the soil the healthier will be the food on our plates. Soil is a mix of minerals, water, air and organic matter. The organic matter in the soil stores about 2500 B tons of carbon. This huge natural zinc not only helps conserve carbon, it also boosts the fertility of the soil buffering water, air and nutrients. Soils are underground cities teaming with creatures, animals, fungi, bacteria and other microbes. The interactions between these species helps the plants grow better, sustain ecosystem, increase yield and provide more nutritious food for everyone.
Soil degradation
Soils undergo degradation when natural ecosystems such as forests are converted to agricultural land. Heavy soil tillage and intensive use of fertilizers speed up decomposition of organic matter.
Erosion by wind and water further accelerates this process. The stored carbon is released into the atmosphere fueling global warming. Soils also suffer salinity, compaction and pollution. This leads to degraded lands and ecosystems and in the long term increased risk of global food insecurity.
Preserving soil health
Centuries of farmer experience and agricultural research offer solutions to keep soil intact and healthy. For example, following good agricultural practices such as reduced tillage, permanent soil cover, inter cropping, carbon and nutrient recycling, using compost and soil and water conservation.
These good practices helps decrease soil degradation, reduce soil erosion and replenish the organic matter content in tropical, temperate and boreal soils.
Improving soil health
If regenerative techniques are made more widespread, they can halt the damage to our soils, preserve and start improving them, while also ensuring a continuous supply of healthy food.
This is by striving to establish traceability back to the farm and gain visibility to support farming practices in all our value chains. Farmers are supported and helped by employ regenerative and sustainable practices.
